The Shoulder at Hardstoft

What a gem. The staff were friendly and polite, and the food was stunning. I'd especially recommend the lemon cheesecake. The owners were hands-on and made sure we had what we needed and were happy. We came in a motorhome and were allowed to stay in the car park as long as we bought food or drink. It was quiet, so we slept well, and we were probably in a food coma. We'd definitely stay again.

We'd been looking forward to the meal, but left really disappointed. The restaurant was uncomfortably cold; lots of other diners had coats on, and I wished I'd brought one too. When we ordered, one person in our party couldn't get a lager and black because they'd run out, and there was no lime cordial either. The drinks we did get were okay. The food took quite a while to arrive, and when it did, everything was cold. We sent it back, and the manager handled things very well, but the food we got in return was barely any warmer. We were offered a discount, though we'd much rather have had a good, hot meal. I noticed other people sending food back as we left. Really poor.

The staff were lovely, and the Cruzcampo was a nice pint, but honestly, the food wasn't great. For just under £19, I got two fatty slices of lamb, a microwaved Yorkshire pudding, good mash, half a roast potato, a quarter of a carrot, a sad slice of parsnip, and a decent helping of cabbage. Sadly, not good value for money.

We spent two nights here for my younger daughter's wedding reception. The staff were brilliant and very accommodating, helping everything go well. The food was great, the location was perfect, and the rooms were just the right size. The hotel rooms were very good and well equipped. The building is more than 350 years old, so some floors aren't level, though it wasn't really a problem. We had a great time in a great place. Thank you.